Circuit-closer for fire-alarms.



S. J. KRANYAK.

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR FIRE ALARMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. 1916.

1 20,646. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. J KRANYAK. CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR FIRE ALARMS.

2 SHEETS-SHEEF Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEVEN J. KRANYAK, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR FIRE-ALARMS.

Application filed February 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEVEN J. KRANYAK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of \linnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closers for Fire-Alarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in circuit closers for fire alarms and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device which will an electrical alarm circuit as soon as a lire breaivs out in any portion of a building, tiicreby notifying the occupants and others of t io presence of the fire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circuit closer which with a slight modilication may be made not only to automatically close the circuit but also to manually close the circuit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device consisting of a pair of conacts normally held out of engagement by a suitable material which will be easily melted after the degree of heat has increased beyond a predete mined point.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view illustrating this improved device employed.

Fig. 2- is a side elevation of the circuit closer.

Fig. 3 is a face view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the circuit closer.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of a modified form of the device similar to 'Fig. 2 showing a portion thereof in section to more clearly illustrate the details of construction.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the device.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the same, and

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the support for the pivoted contact.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates as an entirety the circuit closer constructed in accordance with this invention comprising a base block 2 having a longitudinal groove 3 formed in its under face. This groove extends to a point near oppo- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Serial No. 81,194.

site ends of the base and one end of the groove is recessed as at lto accommodate the connector which will be more fully hereinafter described. Formed in the base near opposite ends and near opposite side edges are the apertures 5 for the reception of the connecting wires which will be more fully hereinafter described. Suitable screw receiving apertures 6 are formed in the base near opposite side edges and are adapted to receive the attaching screws by means of which the device is secured in place.

Secured to the base at one end by a suitable screw '7 is the U-shaped yoke 8 having formed near the ends of its arms suitable apertures for the reception of the trunnions on the contact arm 9. The contact end of the arm 9 is provided with a pair of spaced apertures 10, the use of which will appear as the description proceeds. Formed integrally with one of the arms of the yoke 8 is an extension 11 having formed on one side the curved spring 12 which is adapted to cooperate with the binding screw 13 in holding the conductor wire. A suitable spring 14 is positioned between the contact arm 9 and the base 2 and one of its arms lies against the base 2 while the opposite arm engages bencath the rearward extension of the contact arm 9 and is bent as at 15 to project through a suitable opening 16 formed in said contact arm at its rear terminal. This spring 14L is adapted to normally tend to move the forward end of the contact arm toward the base as illustrated in the draw ing.

Cooperating with the contact arm 9 is the contact spring 17 which is secured at one end beneath a suitable plate 18 carrying the binding screw 19 to which one of the conductor wires is connected. It will thus be seen that when the contact arm 9 engages the contact spring 17, an electrical circuit will be completed, through a suitable alarm thereby sounding the same. In order to hold the contact arm and the contact spring away from each other, a suitable block 20 of Wax or any other suitable material is provided and is formed with a pair of spaced lugs 21 which are'adapted to project into the openings 10 so as to hold the blocks on the arm 9. It will thus be seen that as soon as the heat from a fire becomes sufficiently great to melt the wax, the arms will be moved into contact with each other thus stopping the alarm.

In order that the circuit may be completed without melting the block 20, a suitable contact spring 22 is provided and is secured to the end of the base near which the U-shaped yoke 8' is attached and this spring normally tends to move into engagement with the rearmost extension of the contact arm 9. The spring is secured in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6 by the passage of a suitable bolt 23 therethrough and threaded onto the inner end of the bolt is a plate 2% carrying the connector plate 25 in which the binding screw 26 is threaded. The inner end of the plate 2i engaging in the notch or recess -11 in the base as clearly illustrated in the drawing and the binding screw 26 is connected by a suitable wire 27 with a suitable contact screw 28 which is connected to the plate 18. It will thus be seen that the spring 17 and the spring 22 will practically form the same terminal while the contact arm 9 forms the opposite terminal. In order to hold the spring 22 out of engagement with the contact arm, a suitable hook 28 is pivoted on the screw 23 and when in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the spring 22 will be held out of engagement with the contact arm. In order to move the hooks out of engagement with the spring 22, a suitable flexible member 29 is attached thereto and passes through a suitable guideway or opening formed in the base so that when pull is exerted in the flexible member, the hook will be disengaged from the spring thereby permitting the same to contact with the arm 9.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 5, it will be seen that the base is designated by the numeral 2 and is constructed in a manner similar to the base 2 and secured to the outer face of the base 2 is the U-shaped yoke 8 in which the arm 9 is pivoted. The insulating block 20 is carried by the free end of the arm 9, while the said end normally tends to move toward the base under the influence of the spring 14:. Secured to the base 2" in the manner similar to the base 2 is a contact spring l7 which is secured beneath the plate 18 and forms one terminal of the circuit, while the arm 9 forms the opposite terminal of the said circuit. In

this it will be seen that the device can only be automatically operated and cannot be operated by hand as in the structure previously referred to, while the general principle of operation remains substantially the same.

In use, it will be seen the circuit closers are positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1 and has connected thereto the conductor wires 31 and 32, one of which leads to a suitable power source while the other leads to a suitable set of signals or alarms These alarms are arranged in series and the opposite terminal of the feed wire is connected to the supply wire 34 and it will be seen that when the circuit is closed through one of the circuit closers, all of the alarms will be sounded.

lVhile in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is A circuit closer for fire alarms comprising a base, a contact arm pivoted to one end of the base, a spring normally tending to move said contact arm toward the base, a spring secured to the opposite end of the base and normally tending to move outwardly toward the contact arm, a block of insulating material which may be readily melted positioned between the free end of the contact arm and the free end of the spring, an auxiliary contact spring adapted to engage the opposite end of the contact arm and a pivoted hook engaging said spring and holding the same away from the contact arm and arranged so that when the hook is disengaged from the spring manually the said spring will move into engagement with the arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL ELLISON, J AMES A. BROGKLEHURST.

@eplea of thia patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the flommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. EB." 

